Combined switch and multiple fuse holder



Allg. 31, 1954 Q W, EDMAN 2,688,062

COMBINED SWITCH AND MULTIPLE FUSE HOLDER Filed April l0, 1953 INVENTOR. (7J/@1.56 m PMA/v,

Patented Aug. 31, 1954 COMBINED SWITCH AND MULTIPLE FUSE HOLDER Charles W. Edman, Canton, S. Dak. Application April 1o, 1953, seria1N0.`347,ss9

2 Claims.

This invention relates to a combined switch and multiple fuse holder andl more particularly to a switch and fuse holder combination in which fuses are successively movable into operative position to replace burned-out fuses.

It is among the objects of the invention to provide an improved switch and multiple fuse holder combination which is entirely safe to use and can be used both as a circuit controlling switch and to renew a fuse in the circuit whenever a fuse is burned out by a short circuit or overload current in the circuit; which can be firmly mounted on any suitable support, such as a radio or television cabinet; which includes a replaceable fuse unit; which places the fuses successively in operative position by manually turning the fuse unit; and which is simple and durable in construction, economical to manufacture, easy to use, and neat and attractive in appearance.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from a consideration of the following description and the appended claims in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a switch and multiple fuse holder illustrative of the invention;

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the switch and multiple fuse holder illustrated in Figure Figure 3 is a cross sectional view on the line 3-3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a cross sectional view on the line 4-4 of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a cross sectional view on the line 5-5of Figure 1; and

Figure 6 is a cross sectional view on the line 6 6 of Figure 4.

With continued reference to the drawing, the combined switch and multiple fuse device comprises a base I0, formed of electrically insulative material such as hard rubber or a synthetic resin plastic and including a flat bottom plate I I of circular shape, an annular or cylindrical wall |2r extending perpendicularly from one side of the plate marginally of the plate and a hollow boss I3 disposed centrally ofthe plate I I and extending perpendicularly from the same side of the plate as that from which the wall I2 extends. A formation I4 at the inner side of the annular wall I2 provides a socket I5 in which is disposed a. contact body I6 of electrically conductive material and a coiled compression spring between the body I6 and the bottom wall I I of the base, resiliently urging the body I6" outwardly of (Cl. ZOO-4.25)

the open outer end of the socket I5. An internally screw threaded sleeve or liner I8 is mounted in the boss I3 and is provided at its end disposed inwardly of the boss with a radially extending arm i@ connected at its outer end to a binding post 29 mounted on the inner side of the bottom wall I of the base. A binding post 2| is mounted on the inner side of the bottom wall II at the side of the boss I3 diametrically opposite the binding post 23 and a flexible conductor 22 extending through an aperture 23 in the socket formation Il connects the binding post 2| to the Contact body IS disposed in the socket I5. The annular wall I2 is provided with an aperture 24 extending therethrough and a two-wire conductor 25 extends through the aperture 24 and has one wire 25 thereof connected to the binding post 20 and the other wire 2l thereof connected to the binding post 2| to connect the sleeve I8 and the contact body I6 into an associated electric circuit.

A cover 33 in the form of a iiat plate of circular shape is disposed on the base I0 in covering relationship to the open side of the base and is provided with a central aperture 3|. A screw 32 extends through the central aperture in the cover 3G and is threaded into the screw threaded bore of the sleeve I8 to mount the cover on the base for rotational movements of the cover relative tov the base, the head of the screw at the outer side of the cover 3G being enclosed by a knob 33 of electrically insulative material so that a contact cannot be made with the exposed headl of the screw.

A hub 35 of electrically conductive material is mounted in the cover 36 in surrounding relationship to the aperture 3| in the cover and has an aperture therein receiving the screw 32. This hub is insulated from the outer side of the cover and has its inner side in electrically conductive contact with the adjacent end of the sleeve I8.

The cover is provided with a plurality of radially disposed blind bores, as indicated at 3F, medially of the width of the cover extending from the hub 35 to locations spaced inwardly from the peripheral surface of the cover and spaced apart at substantially equal angular intervals around the circular cover. In the arrangement illustrated there are four of these blind bores spaced apart at angular intervals of approximately ninety degrees but it is to be understood that this number may be varied within practical limits without in any way exceeding the scope of the invention. Apertures, as indicated at 3l, are provided in the cover one at the outer end of each of the bores 36 and these apertures extend from the inner surface of the cover to the corresponding bores 36 but do not extend to the outer surface of the cover. Electric contact plugs, as indicated at 38, are mounted one in each of the recesses 31 and each of these plugs has a concaved end surface, as indicated at 39, at the inner surface of the cover 30. Fuse bars, as indicated at 4E), extend one through each of the bores 36 in the cover and each fuse bar is connected at one end to the hub 35 and at its other or outer end to the corresponding contact plug 38.

With the above described construction, Whenever one of the contact plugs 38 is disposed at the outer end of the contact body I6 a circuit will be completed through the associated fuse bar 40. It will be noted that the outer end of the body I6 is spherically rounded to t into the adjacent concave surface of the corresponding contact plug 38 so that the cover will be releasably held in position with a contact plug in engagement with the contact body, the rounded outer end of which is forced into the concave surface of the plug by the spring l1.

The peripheral surface of the cover 3! is roughened or knurled, as indicated at 4| in Figure 2, so that the cover can be easily rotated manually relative to the base I and the base is provided at its end in which the bottom wall Il is positioned with outwardly projecting, apertured lugs 42 and 43 for securing the base to a suitable support so that the base will be rmly held in position for rotation of the cover relative thereto. If the fuse bar in operative position in the assembly is burnt o-ut, a new fuse bar can be brought into operative position by merely rotating the cover through an angle of approximately ninety degrees relative to the base. The cover is also provided in its inner surface with rounded depressions, as indicated at 44, disposed one substantially midway between each two adjacent contact plugs 38, as illustrated in Figure 6, soy that the cover can be releasably retained in positions at which none ofl the contact plugs 33 are in engagement with the Contact body I6. As the cover is formed of an elecrtically insulative material, such as hard rubber or a synthetic resin plastic, positioning the rounded outer end of the contact body I6 in one of the depressions lill will interrupt the circuit through the switch and multiple fuse assembly so that the assembly can be used as a switch to turn the current on and olf as well as a replaceable fuse device for succesively moving fuses to operative position in the assembly.

It is contemplated that the cover will be provided as a replaceable unit so that when all of the fuses in a cover have been burnt out the device can be renewed by simply removing the cover containing the burnt out fuses Iby first removing the screw 32, and placing a new cover on the base and pivotally connecting the new cover to the base by the re-insertion of the screw.

The invention may be embodied in other spec forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiment is, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are, therefore, intended to be embraced therein.

What is claimed is:

1. A combined switch and multiple fuse holder comprising a base of electrically insulative material including a bottom wall, a hollow boss extending perpendicularly from one side of said bottom wall centrally thereof, and an annular side wall projecting perpendicularly from said one side of said bottom wall marginally thereof and coaxially of said boss and having an aperture therein, spaced apart binding posts mounted on said one side of said bottom wall for receiving the ends of conductor Wires led into said base through the aperture in said side wall, an internally screw threaded sleeve of electrically conductive material secured in said boss, conductor means connecting one of said binding posts to said sleeve, a conductor body in said base at the inner side of said side wall spring urged in a direction away from said bottom wall, conductor means connecting the other of said binding posts to said conductor body, a cover of electrically insulative material disposed in covering relationship to the side of said base remote from said bottom wall and having a centrally disposed aperture therein, a screw extending through the aperture in said cover and threaded into said sleeve connecting said cover to said base for rotation of the cover relative to the base, a hub of electrically conductive material mounted in said cover in surrounding relationship to said cover aperture and disposed in electrically conductive contact with said sleeve, contact plugs of electrically conductive material mounted in said cover at angularly spaced apart locations spaced from said hub and successively movable into electrically conductive engagement with said contact body upon rotational movement of said cover relative to said base, and fuse bars extending radially of said cover and connected one between each of said contact plugs and said hub, said cover having radially disposed blind bores therein respectively receiving said fuse bars.

2. A combined switch and multiple fuse holder comprising a base of electrically insulative material including a bottom wall, a hollow boss extending perpendicularly from one side of said bottom Wall centrally thereof, and an annular side wall projecting perpendicularly from said one side of said bottom wall marginally thereof and coaxially of said boss and having an aperture therein, spaced apart binding posts mounted on said one side of said bottom wall for receiving the ends of conductor wires led into said base through the aperture in said side wall, an internally screw threaded sleeve of electrically conductive material secured in said boss, conductor means connecting one of said binding posts to said sleeve, a conducto-r body in said base at the inner side of said side wall spring urged in a direction away from said bottom wall, conductor means connecting the other of said binding posts to said conductor body, a cover of electrically insu-lative material disposed in covering relationship to the side of said base remote from said bottom wall and having a centrally disposed aperture therein, a screw extending through the aperture in said cover and threaded into said sleeve connecting said cover to said base for rotation of the cover relative to the base, a hub of electrically conductive material mounted in said cover in surrounding relationship to said cover aperture and disposed in electrically conductive contact with said sleeve, contact plugs of electrically conductive material mounted in said cover at angularly spaced apart locations spaced from said hub and successively movable into electrically conductive engagement with said contact body upon rotational movement of said cover relative to said base, and fuse bars extending radially of said cover and connected one between each of said contact plugs and said hub, said contact body having a rounded end surface remote from the bottom Wall of said base, each of said contact plugs having a concave surface at the inner side of said cover releasably engaging 10 the rounded end of said contact body, and said cover having in its inner surface rounded depressions disposed between adjacent contact plugs References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,935,947 Harrison Nov. 21, 1933 1,974,694 Starck Sept. 25, 1934 2,401,958

Peralta J-une 11, 1946 

